34. Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter thirty-four
Browning pine needles shift under my boots as we make our way through the forest. The trees grow so thick, they keep all but the most persistent snow drifts away, and the temperature is a few degrees warmer than usual.
Lira volunteered to stay back and keep an eye on Hendrix while she disinfects more makeshift bandages, and, of course, Nav is never far from his partner's side. It’s beautiful to witness them together, off in their own little world.
Since I know what to look for, she suggested I source a stronger pain-relieving plant to help Hendrix manage the first few days of hiking.
My calves burn as Zenn and I turn right and head up the slope toward a more exposed part of the forest, ignoring Willa’s knowing grin as she and Xaavi head down the hill, hoping to find something to hunt.
Felix is testing the spear he whittled after swearing he's seen pink and grey fish darting beneath the surface of the stream near camp.
He scowled when Zenn told him to stay close and replenish the stack of firewood once he was ready to admit defeat, so maybe he'll refuse to move until he catches something, just to prove his brother wrong.
The massive trees thin out, more pale light trickling through the towering canopy above, revealing patches of near-white sky.
I spot a branch high above, wrapped in a vine with hundreds of bright silvery leaves.
"That's a salixa," I say, searching my bag for the small, airtight boxes, holding them out along with my sharpened secateurs.
"Take these. They should fit in your pockets, since you'll need both hands for climbing.
Once you reach the vine, you'll need to work quickly and methodically with each piece.
Separate a stem and cut it on an angle as close to the base as you can manage.
Then, flip the snipping blade to the dull side and drag it firmly but gently straight up the spine, encouraging it to curl clockwise into a frond.
" I demonstrate the motion with my free hand.
"If any curl anticlockwise, isolate them in their own box, or they'll contaminate the painkilling effect, and we'll end up with an excess of highly addictive sedatives.
Oh, and try not to crush any of the delicate leaves, and if you do, don't breathe in the bitter, peppery smell they emit, ok?
" Zenn blinks at me, looking stunned. "You might want to put your gloves on first. Trust me, you do not want those tiny, barbed bristles embedded in your skin, or you'll be falling out of the tree instead of climbing it. "
His face is incredulous. "What's wrong?"
"That's insane. It's a fucking plant."
"Yes. A temperamental plant with multiple uses, depending on how it's harvested," I agree, holding out the supplies to him again.
"You mean a plant that sounds like it could kill me if I so much as look at it wrong?"
"Is the big, bad Commander afraid of a wisp of toxic fumes?
" Teasing condescension drips from my voice as I smirk up at him.
"I can climb the tree instead if you need me to?
" My mocking tone comes out slightly breathy when his eyes drop to my mouth, flickering with something that looks a lot like hunger.
Then, the cocky smile is back, and I know I only have myself to blame for the fact that I'm about to be in a fucking tree. A sap-coated, spiky one at that.
"Alright, smartass, let's see what you've got. I was going to be a gentleman and do the climbing, but since you're so knowledgeable and have so much energy today, I'll let you do the honors."
Rolling my eyes, I shove my supplies into my jacket pockets and pull on my gloves.
I’m surprised when Zenn grabs my hands and lets a trickle of magic coat the dark leather, reminding me he could’ve easily shielded himself against the plant's more lethal effects, and would have been halfway up the tree by now if I hadn't felt the need to sass him.
With a wink, as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking, he grabs my waist like I weigh nothing and lifts me so I can grab the rough branch and swing myself up.
Thankfully, salixas have an affinity for pines—an easier tree to climb, even with upper body strength as shit as mine.
It doesn't take long for me to reach the dark green vine and wedge myself into a gap between branches, where I follow the precise steps that left Zenn horrified.
I quickly fill two boxes with the painkilling fronds and one with the potent sedatives.
I doubt we'll have much use for them, but they curled that way, and it's not like they're heavy or difficult to carry.
When I make it back down to the lowest branch and consider the distance to the ground, I realize I didn’t think this all the way through.
It’s too far away, and I don't have a clue how to get out of the tree.
"Looks like you're going to have to jump,” Zenn calls, grinning at me and sounding more relaxed than he had when I was higher up.
"Are you crazy? It's over ten feet, and the ground’s rock hard. I'll break half the bones in my body."
He lets out a bark of laughter. "Ok, it's definitely not ten feet. And, I'm not suggesting you land on the ground. I'll catch you."
Oh, fuck no. That’s not happening. "Tell me you're joking," I groan, scanning for another way down.
"Worried I'll drop you?"
"More like worried I'm too heavy," I mutter under my breath.
"Come on, Aly. I won't let you fall. I promise."
Gods, as much as I don't want to do this, I don’t see any other option, and my breaths are getting shallower the longer I sit here feeling trapped. "Fine," I hiss.
"Good. Just keep facing me, slide to the edge of the branch, and drop," he orders, slipping into full Commander mode.
I follow his instructions, using my hands for balance as he steps directly below me and holds his arms out.
"Ready when you are." He smiles flirtatiously, and my heart skips a beat, even though I know he's just trying to distract me from the literal leap of faith I'm about to make.
Squeezing my eyes shut for a second, I take a deep breath and push away from the safety of the branch, falling for less than a heartbeat before I land in Zenn's arms. "You can open your eyes now," he murmurs softly after a minute, and I inhale deeply, filling my nose and lungs with the crisp air laced with his rich, smoky-sweet scent.
Needing the pause before I look up through my lashes to meet endless sapphire eyes. I’m struck with the urge to close mine again before I lose myself mapping every light fleck and dark striation. We should put distance between us. I want to dispel even the inches keeping us apart.
Zenn spins, dropping one arm so my feet land on the ground, but he doesn't let me go.
Instead, he steps into my space, walking me backward a few steps until my back is pressed against the trunk of the tree, and he's leaning in, caging me with one hand and brushing my hair back with the other, a gesture that's terrifyingly intimate.
The sweet intimacy becomes fierce craving when he strokes his hand down the side of my face, using his thumb to tilt my head back, exposing the column of my throat. I'm untethered, standing on the edge of a precipice, wondering if I'm about to fall or fly.
"We shouldn't do this," he whispers, dropping his forehead to mine, breathing slightly ragged.
"So you keep saying." I tip my chin up further, daring him to stop.
"We can't be anything."
"I know."
"Then why does it feel like we already are?"
I don't care what else he says. This moment is worth any potential pain that could follow.
The razor thin line we've kept between us melts away like a snowflake caressing open flame.